It is desirable to pass medium electrical power (less than 125 watts) and high electrical power (greater than 125 watts) electrical power and data inductively through vehicle, vessel and aircraft composite armor or personal body armor without the need to drill or core holes or otherwise provide via through the armor. The elimination of through holes or vias in armor increases the survivability the armor provides to both the vehicle itself and of its occupants, and allows placement of electrical and electronic devices on both a planned and adhoc basis on the exterior or threat side of the vehicles protective armor.
Inductively coupled power and data transmission allows the placement of electrical devices of all types such as those that require power only, i.e. signal or driving lights, electrical actuators or controllers to control ancillary devices such as flare launchers, battery charging stations for dismounted soldiers or any device that could be placed on the outside of a vehicle that requires only a switched AC or DC voltage power source to operate. The second type of device that can be powered inductively through armor would be those that require both power and data transmission. This would include devices such as those used for voice or data communications, cameras, and sensors.
As composite ceramic armor has no or very low magnetic properties, the passage of inductive power which uses magnetic flux to couple the primary and secondary sides of the inductively coupled transformer circuit can be done with relative efficiency. In turn the magnetic flux that passes through the armor has no negative effect on the performance of the armor and operates in the presence of water, mud, etc.
This disclosure relates to inductively coupled power and data transmission which is also known as wireless, contactless energy or power transmission or wireless or contactless of near field communication data transmission among other terms.
There are many configurations of armored vehicles used to support military operations such as Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV), Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), Light Armored Vehicles (LAV), battle or light tanks, transport trucks and multi-function vehicles such as the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that require protective armor. In addition there are many aircraft and marine vessels that are equipped with armor. The armor can be comprised of various metals from aluminum, titanium or high hardness steels, composite-ceramic panels or a combination of composite-ceramic strike face on a metal vehicle hull. A typical illustrative example would be the composite-ceramic armor used by Light Armored Vehicles or LAV's.
Composite-ceramic vehicle armor can be designed as an integral part of the original wheeled vehicle or as a bolt on ‘up-armor’ component. In the US Military, Stryker, ASV, and JLTV modular and bolt-on armor are examples of programs for this type of armor. The Stryker's hull is constructed from high-hardness steel which offers a basic level of protection against 14.5 mm rounds on the frontal arc, and all-around protection against 7.62 mm ball ammunition. In addition to this, Strykers are also equipped with bolt-on ceramic armor which offers all-around protection against 14.5 mm, armor-piercing ammunition, and artillery fragments. The Bradley fighting vehicle is similar in that add-on composite-ceramic armor is appliquéd on top of the steel hull.
Composite-ceramic panels can also be placed over light skinned vehicle bodies such as the HMMWV, aircraft of all types (wing and rotary) and may be used as part of the vehicle structure. The US Army recently unveiled its new light-weight, all-composite truck cab. The cab was designed for the U.S. Army's tactical wheeled vehicle fleet and addresses serious vehicle issues by being lighter in weight, highly durable, and strong enough to carry the heaviest of armor and mine blast protection. The all-composite cab allows soldiers to carry more protective armor, ammunition, and equipment because it weighs hundreds of pounds less than cabs constructed with conventional heavy armor materials and therefore reduces the baseline burden on vehicle axles.
The ceramic strike face is usually placed on the composite structure or panel in a tiled matrix and then cut to shape. Typical ceramic used in conjunction with composite backing to form an armor system include: Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide or Alumina); SiC (Silicon Carbide); Si3N4 (Silicon Nitride); and, B4C (Boron Carbide).
Composite materials can some times be used by themselves as vehicle armor or be a part of a composite-ceramic armor system where they are used to provide support and mechanical structure and integrity to the ceramic tiles. Typical composites used are UHMWP or Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Examples of this family of product would be Tensylon (™ BEA), Dyneema (™ DSM) or Spectra Shield (™ Honeywell). Para-Aramids and resin where the aramid would typically be a variety of weaves of Kevlar (™ DuPont), Twaron (™ Teijin), Technora (™ Teijin) or uni-directional laminates such as T-Flex (™ Armorworks LLC).
Many different types of resin such as but not limited too phenolic, polyester or urethanes are used to bond these fibers into a solid composite panels.
One other type of non-metallic armor that could also have applications for inductive power and data transmission is transparent armor. Transparent armor is usually found in vehicles as windshields or side glass and provide the occupants with ballistic protection and visibility. They are usually constructed as multi-layer laminates of polycarbonate plastics and glass.